Rule changes designed to speed up the game and keep the ball in play are this season to be introduced in Super Rugby tournaments in Australia and New Zealand as governing bodies strive to keep fans engaged.
New Zealand’s Super Rugby Aotearoa competition would see the introduction of a goal-line dropout and a captain’s challenge, similar to the review system that operates in cricket.
Australia would introduce an extra-time “golden try” and 30 second time limits on restarts after points are scored.
Photo: AP
The moves are designed to encourage “action, options and less dead time” in matches, their proponents have said.
Law changes introduced in Australia last year, including the ability to replace a red-carded player after 20 minutes, a 50/22 kicking rule and a five-second time limit to use the ball when available at rucks would remain in place.
Under the new Australian law changes, teams would have just 30 seconds to restart play after points are scored. Scrum resets would also be timed by television match officials to prevent unnecessary delays.
In matches that are tied at the end of normal time, the team that scores the first try in extra-time would win. The move attempts to encourage more attacking play in overtime.
Rugby Australia director of rugby Scott Johnson said that while there would be an onus on referees to speed up the game, the changes had not be made solely to make matches more entertaining.
“That’s not our mandate; we want to make winning Wallabies teams,” Johnson said. “We are cognizant of the fact it’s a competitive sporting landscape in Australia, but it’s not at the top of our agenda.”
Super Rugby Aotearoa would introduce the rugby league-style innovation of a goal-line drop-kick. The kick would be taken by the defending team when an attacking player is held up or knocks on in goal. The rule would also apply when a kick other than a penalty or drop-goal attempt, is grounded in goal or otherwise made dead.
During matches, captains would have 10 seconds after a try is scored to challenge anything since the last stoppage. From the 75th minute, a challenge can be made whether or not a try is scored, and foul play can be challenged at any time.
An incorrect challenge would result in a team losing all future challenges.
New Zealand Rugby high performance manager Mike Anthony said that the rule changes had won “great support” from players and coaches.
The goal-line dropout would “reward attacking teams by allowing them to build pressure and to encourage defending teams to clear the ball from their in-goal area,” he said.
“We’re constantly looking at how we can make the game faster and fairer, a better spectacle,” Anthony said.
New Zealand rugby referees manager Bryce Lawrence supported the captain’s challenge.
“Rugby is a fast-paced and at times complex game, so another set of eyes is always a good thing. We’ve seen this sort of concept succeed in other sports and we want to see how it goes when applied to rugby,” he said.
Rugby Australia rejected the idea of a captain’s challenge, because it said it was possible that play would have to be taken back 30 phases to address some minor infringement that occurred in the lead-up to a try.
SSC Napoli’s Italian Serie A title hopes suffered a late setback on Sunday when they were held to a 2-2 draw at home against Genoa, setting up a thrilling season finale with closest rivals Inter just one point behind. The hosts remain top with 78 points, holding a slim lead over Inter, who won 2-0 at Torino earlier on Sunday, with two rounds remaining. To make matters worse for Napoli, midfielder Stanislav Lobotka, struggling with an ankle injury, was forced off just minutes after the match began. Scott McTominay delivered a perfect pass into the box where Romelu Lukaku got
A stunning Lamine Yamal strike on Thursday helped crown Barcelona La Liga champions with a 2-0 win over local rivals RCD Espanyol, with victory ensuring Real Madrid cannot catch them at the top of the table. Yamal’s effort and Fermin Lopez’s goal took Hansi Flick’s side seven points clear of Los Blancos with two matches remaining, to clinch Barcelona’s 28th title and complete a superb domestic treble. Only the UEFA Champions League title escaped an exciting young Barca side this season, as they won the league for the second time in six years, at Espanyol’s ground again just as in 2022-2023. Back then,
Jannik Sinner on Thursday marched into the semi-finals of the Italian Open after destroying Casper Ruud in straight sets 6-0, 6-1, while Coco Gauff won a marathon three-set battle with China’s Zheng Qinwen to advance to the women’s singles final. American Gauff is to face Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in today’s title match after pulling through 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 7-6 (7/4) in a match that lasted over three-and-a-half hours. Ruud was supposed to be Sinner’s toughest test in Rome since he came back from his three-month doping ban, as the Norwegian came into the match in hot form on clay after winning in
Shohei Ohtani on Thursday delivered his first two-homer game of the season and had six RBIs as the Los Angeles Dodgers poured it on with five long balls in a 19-2 victory over the visiting Athletics. Max Muncy, Andy Pages and James Outman also hit home runs for the Dodgers, who left no doubt by taking a 13-2 lead following a seven-run third inning. Muncy and Kim Hye-seong each had three hits for Los Angeles. Dodgers right-hander Matt Sauer led off a bullpen game by allowing two runs in four innings. Left-hander Justin Wrobleski (1-1) finished with four scoreless innings after he
RSS